First Indian rock band on America’s Got Talent is from Northeast

Just as the band flung itself into the pop song with distorted guitars and Girish’s unhinged voice, all four were stunned, followed by an enthusiastic standing ovation and a resounding entry into the next round. “The whole experience was surreal… it was electrifying… something we’ll never forget. Years of touring, dreaming, and staying true to our sound led up to that moment. We’re just incredibly grateful to be part of something this big, and to share a piece of our journey with the world,” said frontman Girish Pradhan in an email conversation with The Indian Express.

“You come from the other side of the globe and do something so traditionally American.. It was so beautiful,” said Howie Mandel on the show.

On Friday last week, hot on the heels of their now viral performance with 1.7 million views, the Bengaluru-based band — comprising vocalist Girish, guitarist Suraz Sun, bassist Yogesh Pradhan (also Girish’s younger brother), and drummer Nagen Nags – with their long tresses cascading behind and goatees that harked back to the 90s, sang a set at the Capital’s newly opened The Piano Man. As if plucked straight from the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll and planted in the cosy live music venue, the band had those present flipping out as frontman Girish’s soaring vocals pierced through with the song ‘Rock n roll is here to stay’. With limbs pounding, someone from the crowd screamed, “AGT winners”.

Girish obliged by crooning the performance from the show. “The outpouring of love and support we have received from across the globe has been overwhelming in the best way possible. It’s a reaffirmation of everything we’ve worked so hard for, and a reminder of how far we’ve come,” said Girish.

It all started when a producer from America’s Got Talent reached out to Girish via Instagram, after seeing a soundcheck video he had posted from a show at Independence Rock Festival in Mumbai.

“That conversation opened the door for us to pursue AGT, and the rest followed naturally,” says Girish, who identifies the global perception of Indian music, which is traditionally centred around classical genres and Bollywood. “But as a band, we never set out to fit into that mould. Coming from Sikkim, we were already on the periphery of the mainstream spotlight – and in many ways, that gave us the freedom to chart our own course…We’re not trying to redefine what it means to be Indian. We are simply sharing our story,” says Girish.

Girish and his younger brother Yogesh are the sons of Bimla Pradhan, a well-known Nepali folk and classical singer, and football commentator Shyam Pradhan, who was deeply passionate about music, and also the band’s first manager, mentor and financier. “It’s in the air, honestly,” says Girish, who adds that all the members were fascinated by local rock bands and watched them “rehearse, perform, and break barriers”, which showed them what was possible. “That spark shaped the path we’re on today,” says Girish, for whom, like other musicians in India as well as the region in the 90s, accessibility of the music was harder as there was no internet then. Sharing tapes with friends was the only way to listen to music that wasn’t on cable television. “It was about the leap pf faith,” says Girish.

The idea for Girish and The Chronicles took shape after Girish left his engineering midway to pursue music full-time. He connected with Suraz Karki, a talented guitarist from Namchi, and drummer Nagen Sarki from Darjeeling. “While not all of them are from Gangtok, we shared the same Eastern Himalayan roots,” says Girish, who, after a few years of performing across India and Nepal, returned home in 2009 and recorded his first single, ‘Angel’, with brother Yogesh. The band remained a duo for a while as both brothers would perform an acoustic set at a local pub on Sikkim’s Tibet Road.

This is when the buzz around the band began to grow, coupled with a few viral YouTube videos. As Yogesh went to Chennai to pursue sound engineering, Nagen rejoined, and soon after, Suraz was back as well. “With all of us in place, we began playing college festivals and competitions, and gaining momentum,” says Girish. Yogesh joined as the bassist and would go on to mix all of the band’s albums.

Three albums and 16 years of work later, Girish and the Chronicles opened Guns N’ Roses’ India concert in Mumbai, a moment the band believes is a “monumental milestone” for them. Their music played a pivotal role in shaping our musical journey, and their music was an integral part of our youth. We learnt and performed their tracks at countless shows. Some of our early covers of ‘Sweet Child O’ Min’e on YouTube helped us get noticed. And getting to open… for them on our home turf, made it all the more unforgettable,” says Girish.

The band is now gearing up for the next round of AGT and a tour through Asia and Europe for the rest of the year. “Rather than conforming to expectations or stereotypes, we’ve stayed committed to what we love…,” says Girish.